The wires which connect the battery of an automobile to its starting motor carry a current of 300 A (for a short time).
The wires which connect the battery of an automobile to its starting motor carry a current of 300 A (for a short time). What is the force per unit length between the wires if they are 70 cm long and 1.5 cm apart? Is the force attractive or repulsive?
Current in both wires, I = 300 A
Distance between the wires, r = 1.5 cm = 0.015 m
Length of the two wires, l = 70 cm = 0.7 m
Force between the two wires is given by the relation,
$F=\frac{\mu_{0} I^{2}}{2 \pi r}$
Where,
$\mu_{0}=$ Permeability of free space $=4 \pi \times 10^{-7} \mathrm{Tm} \mathrm{A}^{-1}$
$\therefore F=\frac{4 \pi \times 10^{-7} \times(300)^{2}}{2 \pi \times 0.015}$
$=1.2 \mathrm{~N} / \mathrm{m}$
Since the direction of the current in the wires is opposite, a repulsive force exists between them.